CAF AFCON Round of 16 promises earth-shaking action and drama as Africa’s top sides collide.
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 group stage is done and dusted and concluded on Wednesday night.
Now, what you are about to see is the setting up of some highly anticipated knock-out stage clash of titans.
The group stage produced everything expected of Africa’s premier Football spectacle.
Stunning goals were scored, records set and broken, history made and passionate fans turned up at match venues.
Below are the exciting games to look out for:
Senegal vs Côte d’lvoire
In the round of 16, defending champions Senegal will take on tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire.
The Elephants suffered a shock 4-0 bashing by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their final group game but still moved to the knockout round as one of the best losers. They now face the task of beating a top-notch Senegalese side yet to drop points.
Following their heartbreaking 4-0 defeat in the final group game, host Côte d’Ivoire only progressed after Zambia lost to Morocco in their final group F game. They have been handed a tough test against defending champions, Senegal. Senegal has a 100% record in the tournament and the game is a tough one for the host.
The game will be played at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium on January, 29.
Equatorial Guinea v Guinea
Underdogs Equatorial Guinea surprisingly won Group A undefeated. Will they cause another upset against Guinea?
Equatorial Guinea shockingly topped a group with hosts Côte D’Ivoire and Nigeria. They face a shaky Guinean side.
The Syli Nationals will have the competition’s top scorer, Emilio Nsue to deal with in this fixture. The game is at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Sunday, January 28.
Angola v Namibia
Elsewhere, Namibia faces a big challenge from two-time quarterfinalists Angola.
Namibia made history by qualifying for the knockout stage of the CAF AFCON for the first time since debuting in 1998. They face Angola who topped a group involving Burkina Faso and Mauritania with 7 points.
Angola is two times quarter-finalist. The game is scheduled to take place at Stade de la Paix in Bouake on January 27.
Nigeria v Cameroon
It will be a clash of giants when the Super Eagles of Nigeria trade tackles with the indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Both teams are continental heavyweights.
The two giants started on a shaky note but managed to qualify for the round of 16 after their final round of matches.
Nigeria is hoping to end 10 years of no CAF AFCON trophy.
Rigobert Song is under pressure to give Cameroonians a better performance in the knockout stage after crawling into the group stage, where they won just one game.
No doubt, one of the giants will be knocked out in the round of 16.
The game is on Saturday, January 27 at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan
Morocco vs South Africa
The Atlas Lions of Morocco topped their group without conceding a goal and will look to continue along that line when they meet Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinalists are looking to win the CAF AFCON 2023. On their way to grabbing the trophy, they will face the South Africans in the Round of 16. The South African attack with Percy Tau and Themba Zwane will give the Moroccans a lot of headaches to deal with. The game is on January 30 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium.
Egypt vs D.R Congo
The Pharaohs of Egypt are the most successful CAF AFCON nation. If you are a fan of DR Congo, then start saying your prayers for your team as Egypt will be a dangerous opponent.
It has not been a good one for the Pharaohs of Egypt. They qualified after drawing all group games. As the most successful country in the history of the competition, their presence in the knockout stage is a threat to any team they face and D.R Congo knows this. The game will be played on January 28 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium.
Mali v Burkina Faso
Another juicy clash will see Mali battle Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso lost their final group stage game 2-0 to Angola. Mali was unbeaten in all their group-stage games and will have the advantage of playing at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Kohorgo, the venue where they played most of their group games. The game is on January 29 at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.
Cape Verde v Mauritania
Cape Verde had a surprise run going unbeaten and topping a group with two previous CAF AFCON champions, Egypt and Ghana. The Blue Sharks will have Mauritania to deal with in the round of 16. Coach Amir Abdou has already exceeded expectations by getting this far with Mauritania.
They can however write more history as they face Cape Verde. The game is on Monday, January 29 at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
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